Whoever said no plan survives contact with the enemy must have foreseen my day today. I had all the recipes. I had my timetable (though I didn’t get the pie baked Tuesday, so I was already behind). I gathered my ingredients…
And then Fern texts me that the oven at their house went out. Crap. So, everything that they were going to cook is now going to split time with my oven projects which, as I mentioned, are already behind. It’s going to be a long night…
Note: the beer was for tonight. Call it, “Chef’s Aid”.
And indeed, it did not begin auspiciously. After picking up the sweet potatoes for Fern’s pie, I swung by Bottle Barn to grab a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and a Champagne for tomorrow. I had Google Girl do the calculations for the drive home, hoping she’d rout me around traffic. She did… right through Coffey Park. There’s nothing to remind you how lucky you are, how much you have to be thankful for than passing through utter and complete destruction. We are so very lucky…
That being said, if anyone would like a dog and two cats please let me know because after what they greeted me with when I got home they’re lucky they didn’t join the turkey in the brine bag (I know Winston wouldn’t have fit. “We’re gonna need a bigger bag….” 😉 ). I was furious. Fern called right during an exceptionally colorful profanity jag and she managed to cool me down. I gathered myself, took care of things, and threw myself into the battle at hand.
The Greatest Pumpkin Pie Ever
The crust went together pretty well, and the spices in the filling seemed on point. I didn’t anticipate
Mise en PIE!
either the crust growing as it did, nor a bit of the burn on the top most bits of the crust. Overall, it still turned out okay and I don’t think anyone will complain once there’s a slice on a plate with a healthy dollop of bourbon whip cream on top.
Gingersnap crust ready to rest in the fridge for a few.
So spicy! Not everything was whole-spice.
Filling looks good so far…
Crust and filling combine! Form VOLTRON PIE!
Ooh, so let’s just call the edge of the crust “Well Done,” shall we?
Turkey! Turkey! Turkey!
Jay’s maple bourbon brine smells incredible, with orange, clove, and of course maple and bourbon scents, that bird is enjoying a lovely dip right now.
Bird In a Bucket: “Good night, Turkey. Good work. Sleep well. I’ll most likely cook and eat you in the morning.”
My First™ Thanksgiving Macaroni and Cheese
Blender-eye-view of the spices: some cayenne, some salt and pepper, some nutmeg, some dried mustard…
Went together great, and it looks fantastic. Fern complained that it should have been twice the size it is. I reminded her we’re serving four and not twenty-four. Still, she has a point: next time I’d double the recipe, but I’ll have to report back on whether there will be a next time for this recipe.
Cheesy goodness!
You might be wondering what my plan is for actually, you know, cooking the turkey tomorrow? Fern and her mom have an electric turkey roaster at home. What, might you ask, is an electric turkey roaster? Because that was my first question. Something like this. Seriously, I had no idea such a thing existed but I’m really glad they do!
More tomorrow – the final stand! And then the all-important tasting!
